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Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park Edges Toward Destination Status

Improvements Have Been Slower Than in Some Areas, but Changes Have Started

By

Kathleen Lucadamo

Sept. 3, 2014 9:17 p.m. ET

When Georjean McHale was growing up in Rockaway Beach in the 1990s, she rarely ventured over to Beach 116th Street, an area then plagued by panhandlers and blighted buildings. Yet when she was looking to open a juice bar this summer, the commercial strip seemed like the perfect place.

"It wasn't always a great block and it's coming back a bit and I'd love to help it come back," said the 34-year-old who opened Local Liquids...